Head Over Heels
by kisbydog
Summary: After disappearing two years ago, Edward travels back to Forks to help Charlie find the murderer of two of Bella's friends.


This was my entry for the Twi-Muses _Are You Afraid of the Dark_ contest.

****Betas: HollettLA and MC101180 - love you, babes! Thanks for putting up with me!  
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**Warnings: Gore, violence, character death and car sex.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.**

Thank you to my neighbor, Clint, who gave me lots of late-night assistance with this - most of the cool lines are his.

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><p>The silver Volvo's wipers flicked the rain away as it glided down the lane past Forks Cemetery, past the long line of cars, until it reached the hearse that rested under the drooping grey trees. It slowed down as Edward scanned the group of mourners, looking for her.<p>

He spotted her quickly, his eyes pulled toward her by the strange magnetic force that had always been between them.

She was dressed in black, her arms wrapped around a tiny girl with short, spiky hair that Edward recognized as her best friend, Alice Brandon. The two girls leaned against one another for support. As if she sensed his presence, her eyes met his.

He was floored by the feelings that flooded his body as she gazed at him. He massaged the brakes, glided to a stop, and sat under the tree like a stalker, watching her. But soon reality came back to him, and he remembered why he was there. With a pained groan, he tore his eyes from hers and drove away.

He pulled into the driveway, leaving room for the cruiser to park behind him. Feeling around the top of the door frame until his hand hit cold metal, he smiled at the fact that the Chief of Police had kept the spare key to his house in the same place for all these years. He plucked it from its hiding spot and let himself in.

The house looked the same. It smelled the same. A strangled groan escaped his throat as the memories came unbidden, crippling him with their vividness. The lights from the emergency response vehicles, the blood on the floor, the smell of gunpowder…it was too much for him, and he dropped to the ground, clutching his chest as he gasped for air. He crawled over to Charlie's liquor cabinet and grabbed the first bottle his hand touched.

The scotch burned his throat and warmed his stomach, and his breathing began to regulate. When he heard the car pull into the driveway, he shoved the bottle back into the cabinet, pulled himself onto the couch, and turned on the television.

He stood when Charlie entered the room. They shook hands.

"Edward. Thank you for coming—I know how hard this is for you." Charlie's voice was grim.

"I really don't think I'll be any help, Charlie. I'm retired."

Charlie scoffed. "You're too young to be retired—you're not even thirty. Besides, we need the best people working on getting this scumbag off the streets, and you, my friend, happen to be the very best."

Looking at the floor, Edward rubbed the back of his neck and looked uncomfortable. "That's a load of shit, Charlie, and you know it." When he raised his eyes again, they grew wide.

Bella stood in the doorway with Alice, watching them curiously. She smiled tentatively when Edward looked at her. Alice glanced at her friend sadly before raising an eyebrow at Edward.

He stifled a gasp at Bella's appearance. Her eyes were bloodshot and sunken, her cheekbones protruding unnaturally from her face. She looked at least ten pounds thinner. Her smile faded as he scrutinized her.

The shock at her appearance was soon replaced by the familiar heat. Even though she was so much younger than he was, he had never been able to suppress his body's reaction to her, and he waited for the feeling of shame which would inevitably follow. Before he was able to beat down his inappropriate feelings, he gazed intensely at Bella, and she gasped as he pulled her to him in a strong embrace.

She felt so tiny, like a baby bird, and he worried that he would break her if he squeezed too hard. He could feel the tension leave her body as he held her, and he wished he could take away all of her pain. But she was not his to comfort. Somewhere in her future waited a man who would care for her and give her everything she needed, and the thought made his heart constrict painfully. He placed a gentle kiss on her head and released her, muttering a polite greeting to Alice. Bella sighed.

Alice rubbed her friend's arm. "I should run home. Please, hon, _try_ to get some sleep."

Bella smirked. "If I had dreams as good as _yours_ it would be no problem."

Alice patted her cheek. "Next time I dream about my hunky man, I'll ask him if he has a friend for you." She leveled her gaze on Edward, who found himself burning with jealousy at the thought of a man visiting Bella in her dreams. She smiled knowingly and left.

Bella and Charlie looked at Edward expectantly. He couldn't figure out what they were waiting for him to do or say, so he just stood there, awkwardly looking back and forth between the two of them. Eventually, Bella rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen.

Charlie got right down to business. "I paid the Medical Examiner a visit, and he gave me his findings. I also have photos of both crime scenes, as well as any physical evidence that was gathered." Edward was relieved to get started. All he wanted was to have a quick look at the evidence, give Charlie a few profiles that might fit, and then head home to his condo in Seattle where he planned to drink himself into oblivion.

Oblivion. Sweet nothing. No thoughts of the precious girl standing in the kitchen, no memories of the way he used to hover over her like an over-protective big brother, keeping all the hormonal teenage boys away and telling himself that it was for her sake and not for his own sanity. But most of all, no memories of blood.

Charlie placed a large evidence box on the dining room table. Edward looked at it disdainfully, poking at it like it contained a rabid raccoon before he finally opened it up and got to work reading through case files, coroner's reports, and studying the photos of the grisly crime scenes.

It had been two years since he last worked on a crime. As he sorted through the evidence, his heart sank as he realized that he could still do this. His brain felt mushy, dusty from disuse and booze, but pieces of the puzzle before him began to shift around in his brain, chunks forming together to create the picture he needed. He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair.

A cup of coffee appeared before him, and he looked up to see Bella's retreating form. Of course she wouldn't want to see the pictures—she had witnessed it firsthand. He went back to the coroner's notes, but the words would not make sense for him. He sipped the hot coffee as he pondered the pages before him, felt the hot liquid burn his throat, and decided to go back to the photos.

Panic gripped him as he stared at the gruesome pictures, and his stomach started to roll. He bit down hard on his bottom lip and breathed deeply through his nose to stave off the nausea. When he gained control of himself, he began to note the details of the scene.

The first victim was Lauren Mallory, age nineteen. She had graduated with Bella the year before. Her body was splayed out over a fallen tree, and she was naked on her back, legs spread wide. But that wasn't the worst part. Edward desperately wanted to look away, to get in his car and drive back to Seattle, but he could not tear his eyes away from the bloody mess. He was haunted by the thought that it could be Bella next.

The girl's torso was a deep red. Blood and torn flesh obscured her injuries, but Edward's trained eye could see what most people could not. The victim's torso and throat were split open as if someone had dug into them with their bare hands. There was blood everywhere—pooled on the ground and splattered on the surrounding vegetation. Edward studied the flagged details on the ground, observing the proximity of the materials. Pieces of flesh and organs were scattered a wide range around the body, as if it had exploded from the inside out. It was the most horrendous crime scene Edward had ever looked upon.

The profile began to take shape in his mind, and he began to scribble ideas in his notebook.

_Desperation. _

_Frustration. _

_The crime was instant and unplanned, a crime of desperate convenience. Searching for something that's right in front of him but he can never find_.

The drip pattern of the blood seemed to come from multiple sources at once. _What sort of weapon would do this?_ A pitchfork had four points, but this pattern suggested at least eight to ten. It seemed as though the weapon had changed shape midway through the attack.

The Medical Examiner's report stated that there were no traces of DNA. The victim's fingernails appeared as though they were run against stone or sandpaper. No skin was found under the nails, but there were fibers.

_Strange. _

The fibers found at the scene were from a textile blend that hadn't been used since the nineteenth century.

The second victim was much the same. Jessica Stanley, also one of Bella's classmates and friends. Bella had been with her the night she was killed. The two girls had been walking past the cemetery on their way home from a movie last Friday. Jessica had been grabbed so quickly that Bella hadn't even seen what was happening until she looked around and saw Jessica splayed out on a large granite tomb. Bella had hidden behind a bush and called 911 as her friend was raped and eviscerated. The 911 operator had heard Jessica's terrified, painful screams, and a tape recording of the call was included in the box of evidence.

He looked at the tape like it was a key to the gates of Hell. It stayed in the box.

He frowned as he read Bella's statement. Worry gripped him as he wondered just how traumatized she was by this horrifying event. He looked at the ceiling, to where Bella sat in her room, listening to music. _Seems normal enough_.

He decided that he needed to talk to Charlie about this. He packed everything away so that Bella wouldn't need to hide in her room anymore, picked up his coffee, and went into the kitchen. Charlie stood at the counter drinking his own cup of coffee.

"I assume you've read this?" Edward asked, waving the statement at him.

Charlie nodded and shrugged. "She's sticking to her story. I've tried to get her to talk to someone…a counselor or a doctor, but she refuses."

A cold voice from the doorway interjected. "I'm not crazy. I know what I saw." Bella was standing with her arms crossed, her tired eyes flashing with anger.

Edward walked toward her. "Of course not, Bella. No one is saying you're crazy." His voice was soothing, cajoling, and Bella scoffed.

"Well, it's what you're thinking. Admit it." She put her hand up and turned her head away from him. "No, never mind—I couldn't bear to hear it. Especially from _you_." She gave him a pointed look then glanced at the liquor cabinet before she stormed back upstairs.

Edward turned to face Charlie, who shrugged.

"Do you have any suspects, Charlie?"

"You mean non-fictional?"

Edward glared at him, hoping Bella was no longer within hearing range.

Charlie sighed. "Yeah, there's one. But I thought you don't like to hear about suspects until you work out a profile. So it doesn't bias you, or whatever."

"We need to move fast on this. Not just to prove to Bella that this killer is a real, live person, but also because she's come too close to being a victim herself." Edward slammed his fist onto the counter at the thought of Bella meeting the same fate as her two unfortunate classmates.

Charlie took a step forward, encroaching on Edward's personal space just enough to make sure he was listening. "Whoa there, cowboy. Don't think that I haven't thought about both of those things. But we can't just go all lynch mob on this guy—just because he's hitting close to home doesn't mean we panic and react without thinking."

Edward's shoulders slumped, and he leaned heavily on the counter. "Shit. I know that, Charlie, but Goddammit, look at her! She looks so frail. What the hell's happened to her?"

Charlie glared silently at Edward for a moment before replying, "You left."

Edward choked on his coffee.

"You were always there for her, protecting her, maybe even over-protecting her, but then, when she needed you the most, _you ran away to be the guest of honor in a two-fucking-year-long pity party!_" It was Charlie's turn to slam his fist onto the counter.

Edward slumped over with his head in his hands. "Don't you see, Charlie? I'm no good. I couldn't save her then, and I can't save her now. Find someone who knows what they're doing." His voice was muffled.

Charlie sighed and went to the liquor cabinet, grabbing the bottle of scotch that Edward had imbibed from earlier. Pouring him a shot, he said, "Christ, Edward, you did save her. What the hell are you talking about? And that psycho would have killed many more people if it hadn't been for you." Charlie's voice softened and cracked a little as he said, "It was just damned unfortunate that the ones he _did_ get happened to be your parents and my wife."

Edward grabbed the glass of amber-colored liquid and downed it in one swallow. "Another one, please," he said breathlessly.

Charlie eyed him suspiciously.

"Just one more to clear my head, then I'll get back to work." Edward was in no frame of mind to look at those pictures again, but he didn't mention that to Charlie.

Charlie poured him another and Edward downed it, feeling the cogs in his brain begin to slow to a tolerable level. He walked back into the dining room, picking up a folder as he sat down. "Can you go see how Bella is? See if she's really pissed at me? I hope I didn't upset her too much," he said off-handedly as he pretended to peruse the notes in the file.

Charlie muttered "…sure she's used to it by now…" and clomped up the stairs.

Edward jumped up from the table and went to the coat rack where Charlie kept his uniform jacket. He felt around in the pockets for any clues as to where Charlie had been, what leads he had been following. As he rifled through diner receipts and a condom—he really didn't want to know about that—he finally found what he had been looking for—his notepad.

He flipped through it, trying to find the most recently used page. He stopped when he saw the name _Newton_ scrawled at the top of a page. _Of course! Newton!_ The guy was serious bad news. Edward had chased him away from Bella on numerous occasions.

He didn't have time to read the rest of Charlie's notes to see if Newton really was the suspect. It didn't really matter anyway. Charlie's heavy footsteps alerted him to his imminent return. He shoved the notepad back into the jacket pocket, raced back to the table, and fired up his laptop.

Charlie looked surprised as he took in Edward's flushed, excited appearance. "Got something?"

Edward grinned. "Oh, yeah. Just give me a few minutes." All he could think about was how this would make Bella feel safe again. Maybe she'd be able to get some sleep if she thought the murderer was behind bars. He opened up Facebook and typed in _Mike Newton_. It took him a while, but he eventually found the greasy looking, blond-haired douche-bag that had basically stalked most of the females in Bella's high school. His behavior was criminal. The psychological damage he had caused more than one teenage girl would provide psychiatrists with years of future business. Getting him off the streets would be a service to society. All Edward needed were a few details about his life, and he'd create a profile for Charlie that would lead him straight to Newton.

Edward felt slightly uneasy about what he was doing. Mike didn't do this. Assholes like him rarely have the fortitude to do this kind of crime; they want easy targets, easy gains—something to brag about. No one would brag about these crimes. He shoved his uneasy feelings aside and got back to work.

For Bella. He would exorcise her demons.

He scribbled down some notes and went back into the kitchen, where Charlie was cracking open a beer to go with his peanut butter and jam sandwich.

Edward made a face when Charlie motioned to the sandwich and said, "Wanna snack?"

He shook his head. "Here's your profile." He tossed the folder down onto the kitchen counter. "Is Bella okay?"

Charlie took the folder, which contained a description of Mike Newton without his name or physical traits, and looked sternly into Edward's eyes. "She hasn't been okay for two years. Why don't you try talking to her this time instead of running back to Seattle and leaving her here to wonder why you deserted her?"

Edward cringed as Charlie's words hit him in the gut. He slowly made his way upstairs to Bella's room, wondering what on earth he could say to her that would make up for his long absence. He took a deep breath and knocked on her door.

He heard a loud thud, followed by soft shuffling noises. Bella answered the door, her face flushed, eyes wide. "Edward!" she exclaimed breathily.

Edward decided to try for nonchalance, even though he was dying to know what she had been doing to cause her normally pale face to flame like it was. "Hey, Bean." Using his old nickname for her, he flashed her the lopsided smile that he used to give her whenever she was mad at him. It never failed.

Her mouth dropped open slightly and her eyes widened even further for a brief moment before she narrowed her eyes, turned on her heel, and stalked over to her bed, sitting down. "What do you want, Edward?"

His smile faltered. He had apparently underestimated how much he'd hurt her. "Uh, can I come in?" he mumbled, unsure of what he was going to do now.

She motioned with a flip of her hand to the rocking chair in the corner.

He frowned as he sat down. There was too much distance between them. He silently watched her fidget as she sat cross-legged on her bed. All the things that he thought about saying seemed too personal to say from across the room. He was at war with himself.

She was purposely keeping distance between them and maybe he should let her. He should let her keep her walls up, protect herself from him. But he was far too selfish. Now that he was in her presence once more, he would not waste the opportunity. An opportunity he thought he'd never have again.

He heard Charlie's police cruiser pull out of the driveway, and in three long strides, he was kneeling on the floor in front of her. She gasped as he took her hand and implored her with his eyes to listen. "Bella, I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I'm so very sorry I left you to deal with everything on your own." When her eyes began to fill with tears, he tried to lighten the mood. "I am the most deplorable creature ever, and if you want to shoot me with balls of shit, you have every right to. I won't even duck."

She wiped at her eyes and chuckled. "Stop. You're distraculating my case."

His shoulders sagged with relief. If she was quoting _Trailer Park Boys_, there was still hope. He placed his hand on her cheek and tenderly rubbed it with his thumb. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply…raggedly…something primal rising.

"Oh, God," she whispered so quietly he barely heard her. Her breathing was becoming accelerated.

He had begun to suspect, before he left, that she returned his feelings. He had even formulated a plan to make her his. He had been biding his time.

But time had run out.

Now he was a ruined man, ticking off the days of his life on a bottle of whiskey. She had her whole future ahead of her, if only she survived this despair that had overtaken her, and the crazed killer that plagued the town.

"Bella, you will get through this. I swear on my life that I will get this bastard and make you safe again."

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. When she opened them again, they were furious. "Did you not _see_ what he did to them, Edward? There's no way you or anyone else can stop him. Not physically, anyway."

Edward frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I've been reading about him. I think I know how to stop him."

Now it was Edward's eyes that were furious. "Bella, let Charlie handle this. Please don't do anything stupid. Think of what it would do to Charlie." He held her gaze with his own. "What it would do to me," he whispered.

She pushed him away and got up from the bed. "Stupid? Oh, like running away from everyone who cares about you and holing up in a bottle for two years? Stupid like that?" He shoved his hand into his hair and pulled. She turned to glare at him. "What the hell do you care anyway?" she seethed, and stormed out of the room.

He winced. He had done so much damage.

He could hear her moving around in the bathroom next door. She had left her cell phone on her bed, and it began to ring. He picked it up to bring it to her. As he stood in front of the bathroom door, about to knock, the door opened a crack and a small hand shot out, grabbing the phone.

Edward stood by the door, listening, trying to learn any new piece of information about her life since he'd left.

"Hey, Alice!" pause… "Alice? Shit, you're pocket dialing me again. Stop putting your damned phone in those skinny-assed jeans!" Bella yelled.

Edward didn't want to get caught eavesdropping, so he started to head toward the stairs. He heard the theme for _Law and Order_ playing in the bathroom before Bella said "Hey, Dad."

Edward stopped. He wanted to know what Charlie had to say. He couldn't hear, so he went back to the bathroom door.

"…you're wrong, Dad. I'm not going to say you're punishing an innocent man, because he's not, but he's sure as hell not guilty of murder." Bella's voice was getting higher and higher. When she hung up the phone, she flung the bathroom door open, catching Edward skulking on the other side.

She paused momentarily, her eyes narrowing. "You and Charlie need to realize…" She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands tight little fists. "Argh! I'm not a child anymore!" she growled, storming into her room. Edward tried to follow her, but she slammed the door in his face.

Shoulders slumped in defeat, he walked downstairs. He looked at the innocent looking box sitting harmlessly on the dining room table with its unspeakable horrors hidden inside.

It was for the best that Bella no longer wanted him around, but he would still keep his promise to her. He would protect her from a distance if he could not be close to her.

He was pretty sure that as disgusting as Newton was, he didn't have it in him to inflict the kind of terror these murders were spreading, so he spent the rest of the afternoon poring over the details of the murders, looking for something that would put him on the right track, waiting for that spark of intuition that would lead him to the real killer.

It never came.

Thinking that his brain was just too wound up, bound too tightly by the details of the case, of his life, of Bella's rejection, he went to his car and pulled out his reserve stash of whiskey.

The sun was beginning to set. Charlie still had not returned and Bella had not emerged from her room. He had no more insight into the murders than he had that morning, and he was beyond frustrated. He really needed to visit the crime scene—he should have done it hours ago—but he was loathe to leave Bella alone in the house.

Unless she had a pantry in her bedroom, Bella hadn't eaten anything. Edward made her a sandwich and crept up the stairs toward her bedroom, hoping to make a peace offering. He quietly tapped on the door, not wanting to startle her.

When she didn't answer and he heard no movement, he tapped a little louder.

No answer.

He reached toward the doorknob as if it was electrified, turned the knob, and peeked in. Her room was dark. There was no sign of her.

With a loud curse, Edward barged into her room and flipped the light switch. Her window was open. He looked around for any sign of where she'd gone, and prayed that she had just gone to Angela's.

_But why would she sneak out the window? _

Edward's stomach churned. As he turned to leave, he noticed a book on her bed. _The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon_. Dread filled his heart as he flipped through the pages, and when he found the story that she had no doubt been reading, he expelled an even louder curse. Edward ran out of the house and phoned Charlie while he drove furiously to the cemetery.

"Chief Swan," answered a gruff voice, likely interrupted mid-coffee.

Edward spoke hurriedly as his car rounded the last turn before the cemetery. "Charlie, she snuck out. I think she's going to the cemetery."

"It's okay, we've arrested that scumbag Newton."

He put the car in park and grabbed his Glock. "Are you sure about him, Charlie?"

He sighed. "He fit your profile perfectly, Edward."

"Profiling isn't an exact science, Charlie. Would you bet your daughter's life on it?"

"Shit. I'll be right there. Just follow her, make sure she's safe – I'll talk to her."

He was parked under the same trees that he had sat under earlier that day. Sliding out of the car, he closed the door quietly and began to scan the cemetery. He prayed that she wasn't here. The sun was setting behind the trees, casting dark shadows behind the tombstones and making the cemetery look like a sepia-toned photograph.

He would have thought it was hauntingly beautiful, except he couldn't get the crime scene photos out of his head.

Both attacks had happened after dark, and as the cloak of darkness descended upon the landscape around him, he was bombarded with images of Lauren and Jessica's attacks. As he looked at the group of three large tombs at the back of the cemetery, he could visualize the girls struggling futilely with their assailant, their bodies breaking under his harsh attack.

He could hear their screams.

Shaking his head, he realized that the sound was not in his head. His eyes went to the sound and found Bella, frozen, staring into the woods.

The screech of tires signaled Charlie's arrival, and Bella turned and ran toward his cruiser. Edward hurried to join them.

Bella was struggling to catch her breath, her entire body shaking. "I saw him…in the woods…just a flash…then nothing." Edward desperately wanted to hold her, to comfort her, but he didn't want to upset her any more. "I'm not crazy!"

Suddenly, Bella was in his arms. Charlie had pushed her to him and was pointing his revolver toward the trees.

"Edward, get her out of here," Charlie growled as he stalked forward.

"No, Dad!" Bella reached out to stop her father, but Edward held her tightly, trying to maneuver her toward his Volvo. He squinted toward the trees, trying to see what Charlie had seen. There was a faint rustling in the trees, then a second later some bushes about a hundred feet away began to move.

_It could have been the wind._

Charlie was halfway across the cemetery now, his revolver in one hand as he spoke in hushed tones into his radio. The top of the sun fell below the tree line. The trees which lined the cemetery began to sway and twitch, as if the wind was trapped inside the forest, struggling to get out into the open grounds.

If Edward had thought that his mind held only enough room for one traumatic memory in his life, he was sorely mistaken. Everything about the next five seconds would be seared into his brain in limitless detail.

The cemetery grew dark. Bella jerked away from Edward and ran around the front of the car as the trees broke open, releasing a demon that could only have come straight from Hell. Edward lunged at her, grabbing onto her arm and pulling her onto the hood of the car, throwing his body over her in an instinctive effort to protect her.

Charlie stood frozen in the center of the cemetery for a single, heart-stopping moment as the demon flew toward him in a flash of darkness, impaling its clawed fist through Charlie's sternum, blood flying out of the wound like it was Japanese anime. As the claw exited out his back, the wound larger than a hollow point bullet would have made, Charlie's head whipped toward Bella.

Bella's screams pummeled Edward's ears as he yanked her off the hood of his car and threw her into the front seat, jumped in after her, slammed the car into drive, and peeled away from the cemetery.

Bella was on her knees in the passenger seat, still screaming and pounding on the window, trying to open the door as Edward held onto her with one hand while steering with the other. Edward kept driving. He couldn't stop. Bella eventually crumpled into a pathetic heap on the front seat, her body convulsing with painful sobs. He was worried that she was hyperventilating, but he couldn't stop driving. Everywhere he looked he saw the crazed demon tearing toward them, its eyes set on Bella.

_Eyes. What had its eyes looked like? _

Edward realized that he couldn't remember. He remembered every detail, every splatter of blood, the look on Charlie's face, the black cloak the murderer wore, but he couldn't remember his eyes. And then it hit him. Bella's police report. The book of Washington Irvine's short stories she had in her room.

_The Headless Horseman._

Edward's chest began to heave, his shallow breaths wheezy, not providing him any relief, and the more he struggled to breathe the more he panicked, feeling like he was drowning.

Bella sat up. "Edward! Edward, calm down!" He looked at her with wide eyes. Her yelling was doing nothing to help him.

"Good God, if you're going to fall apart at least pull over!" She tried to grab the wheel, and Edward fought her off, shaking his head vehemently.

_Can't stop._

Bella steeled herself, wrapped her fingers around her thumb like her father had taught her, and punched Edward in the face as hard as she could.

"FUCK!" Edward slammed on the brakes and glared at her. She cowered with her back against the passenger door, but her eyes were fiery, daring him to react. "What the fuck was _that_, Bella?" Edward's voice was shrill. He inhaled a deep breath, preparing to yell at her some more, when he realized that he _could_ breathe.

He took in their surroundings, reveling in the deep breaths he was able to suck in. Only minutes before his breakdown, he had pulled off the 101, just past Bogachiel State Park, and they were now in the woods near the river.

Edward eyed the trees suspiciously, waiting for them to part and reveal a raging, headless maniac.

"We're going to die," Bella stated. She was facing forward in her seat, staring serenely out the windshield.

Edward's head snapped toward her. "You don't seem bothered by that." His voice still held an edge of panic.

She turned to look at him and shrugged. "It's easier to just accept it."

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "Stop talking like that! Fight, Godammit!"

She slapped him.

"FUCK! Stop that!" He let go of her and rubbed his stinging cheek.

She was seething now. Her reactions were bouncing from one extreme to the next. Edward couldn't keep up. "Keep. Your. Fucking. Hands. Off. Me," she spat through gritted teeth. Her hand hovered, wanting to strike again.

Edward grabbed her wrist. They glared at each other, nostrils flaring, until Bella began to cry.

"Why didn't you want me?" she sobbed.

_Holy Christ. _Edward's head was spinning. He couldn't speak. Her hair clung to her cheeks, wet with tears and sweat, and her teeth began to chatter as her body shook.

He wrapped her in his arms, pulling her onto his lap. "I wanted you…I've always wanted you." He stroked her hair while she fell apart in his arms, sobbing a litany of the names of her lost loved ones as he tried desperately to hold her together.

It soon became too much for him. The emotions, her perfume—he was intoxicated by her very presence.

Her shaking and sobbing eventually began to subside. They held each other quietly for a long moment, listening to each other breathe, taking comfort from each other. Bella shifted closer to him and reached her hand up to wipe at the wetness on his cheeks.

He hadn't realized that he'd been crying too. It was something he hadn't done in a very long time.

Bella nuzzled into the crook of his neck and sighed. They clung to each other as though letting go would send them free-falling into Hell. When he felt small wet kisses on his neck, his entire body stiffened.

"Bella…" His voice was strained. He was trying not to react, to will his body into submission.

_Now is not the time._

She straddled his hips and inadvertently brushed her center against his growing erection, eliciting a low moan from him.

_This is beyond inappropriate._

Frustrated by his lack of participation, she grabbed his hands and placed them on her ass. His eyes rolled back into his head as he felt the luscious curves that he had only dreamed of touching.

He couldn't help but squeeze.

She moaned, kissing her way up to his face. Cheek to cheek, she whispered, "Please, Edward." Even though she had instigated this, she was now shy, her touches tentative.

Her plea sent a wave of fire through Edward like a flaming oil spill. Dark, sticky need washed over him and burned away the last vestiges of his self-control. He took over, grasping her face and pulling her lips to his.

They both gasped as their lips touched. Neither one moved, the energy between them pulsing and vibrating, begging to be released as they pressed their bodies closer together.

Edward's mind was screaming at him that this was wrong, that he was taking advantage of her weakened state of mind, that he was about to make everything worse.

He felt her tongue lap tentatively at his top lip, her hands slowly tangling themselves in his thick hair, and he became lost once more. Opening his mouth, his hungry tongue met hers, and she whimpered as they slid against each other, exploring…tasting…

_Heaven._

Edward had thought that he would never feel pleasure again, let alone the unfathomable pleasure of Bella's soft body against his. All thoughts of horror left him as he ran his hands up and down her thighs and hips, and when her center came into contact with him again he thrust his hips into her, his restrained member straining against its bonds, aching to meet her, causing her to cry out.

He stilled. They panted into each other's mouths, staring at each other with wide eyes.

Still watching him, Bella tentatively pushed down onto him again, smiling with satisfaction when his eyes rolled back into his head.

He grasped her hips firmly, keeping her away from his pulsing need. When she struggled, he growled.

"Bella…what…" She didn't allow him to finish.

"I don't want to die a virgin," she whispered into his ear, grazing it with her soft lips.

His eyes grew wide. Her face was buried in his neck, her body tense and still as she awaited his rejection.

But he was a desperate man. He could try to blame it on the alcohol or Charlie's murder, but in truth, he'd wanted her for years. As wrong as it was, he _needed_ her—now. Consequences be damned

He touched her tear-streaked face. He would give her anything she wanted, and if she wanted him, no matter how undeserving he felt, she could have him. But she had to know.

"Bella, I'm an empty shell of the man you used to know. I'm not worthy enough to breathe the same air as you, let alone touch you like this." Her shoulders slumped and her eyes watered at his perceived rejection. He kissed her before he offered her the only thing he had.

"I love you."

She whimpered into his shoulder. "Show me." With shaking fingers, she began to unbutton her shirt.

He put his hands over hers. "Let me." Her arms fell to her sides as she watched his hands work quickly through the buttons, his finger tracing the exposed skin after each one. When he was finished, he looked up into her face, his eyes begging for permission.

She nodded frantically.

Pushing the fabric off her shoulders, he was met by an innocent little pink lace bra, the flesh beneath swelling not-so-innocently over the top of the cups. He looked up at her again briefly before hesitantly licking the exposed skin.

She moaned.

Spurred on by this reaction, he brought his hands up to cup her breasts. Kneading the plump flesh, he was rewarded by more of her moans. Heading toward the brink of his self-control, he yanked the fabric away from her delicious peaks and hungrily sucked one nipple into his mouth while rolling and squeezing the other between his fingers.

She cried out and began to writhe on his lap, her hands grasping his head and holding him tightly to her.

He hoisted her up and tried to gallantly lift her into the back seat, but she got caught above the console and he ended up shoving her through as she kicked and flailed.

She landed on the seat and not the floor, thankfully. Her legs were still up in the air, and he eyed the apex of her thighs hungrily.

She squealed when he pulled her jeans off in one swift movement, and he grinned, pleased that at least one of his moves worked smoothly. Before she could right herself, he grasped the outside of her thighs and held her there as he made his way toward her, toward the adorable little white panties that were now completely useless, soaked through with her arousal. His eyes held hers as he got closer, her lids drooping, chest heaving as she panted.

She squirmed when he ran his nose along her drenched panties, and he grasped her hips tightly to keep her still. Pushing her legs back to bring her knees apart, he pulled the panties off her hips and up over her ankles.

Holding her hips again, he took one long, languid lick.

She involuntarily tried to buck her hips, her body wriggling as she cried out at this new sensation. He felt his own hips moving, trying to gain friction, and he began rubbing himself against the edge of the seat. No longer able to restrain himself, he began to lap at her, swirling his tongue deeply into her, sucking up the evidence of her arousal.

He kept her at the brink, wanting her to savor her pleasure, but when she started to beg and cry out, he gently thrust a finger into her and moved his mouth up to her swollen clit.

Her head began to thrash back and forth on the seat, and he felt as though he might lose it. He pressed another finger into her and began to thrust more vigorously, taking her clit between his lips, sucking and flicking it with his tongue.

She screamed as she fell apart, her fingers grasping his hair, pulling so hard that he was momentarily concerned that it might come out.

This was worth a bald spot.

Pulling his hips away from the seat so he didn't embarrass himself, he continued licking her until she became too sensitive and pushed at his head. He pulled back, kissing the inside of her thighs before he let her scoot back on the seat.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and eyed him hungrily. "Your turn." She stared at his groin. Just the thought of her lips wrapped around him nearly made him come.

"Baby, you don't have to do that." His voice was husky with want.

She reached out and rubbed his erection. "I want to. I may never get the chance to do this again."

"Bella, you are not going to die. I won't allow it." But conceivably, _he_ could die. Or when they didn't die, she would see what a horrible mistake she'd made and never want to see him again. Perhaps he should take this chance while he had it.

As she started to rub him, he closed his eyes and thought about bookshelves, trying desperately to not come in his pants. _Bookshelves full of Ikea manuals, with the weird little stick people._ _They always look so happy because they put the damned piece of furniture together all by themselves, but it never went that way in real life, because inevitably you'd drop the damned wrench…_

She squeezed, and his eyes flew open. She popped his button open and slid the zipper down, licking her lips.

_Oh, sweet Jesus._

Reaching into his boxers, she pulled his erection out and her eyes went wide.

He shifted uncomfortably. "You really don't have to." He sounded hoarse.

Her features shifted, a determined look upon her face. She still held him in her hand, her face so close….

She looked up at him. "I've never done this before, but I read about it in _Cosmo_."

_Baby, I could come just watching you hold my dick like that._ She looked away and smiled shyly. Did he just say that out loud?

Still holding him in her fist, she took a tentative lick around the head of his cock. He grasped the seat and squeezed as she licked all the way from the base to the tip.

_Bookshelves. Bookshelves holding political campaign flyers. _

_Heat. Wet…hot…oh God, my dick is in Bella's mouth…_

_Bookshelves with really boring manuals on them, manuals in German…_

_Fuck, German is a hot language…_

_What is she…oh fuck, her teeth…No! Don't fondle my balls…_

_Oh shit, bookshelves… bookshelves filled with National Geographic, bare-breasted women, bare-breasted Bella…_

His hips thrust up hard just as she swallowed around him, and her nose was pressed up against his pubic bone. Feeling her throat clench around him was too much, and he thrust one more time before he competently lost it and spurted hot liquid into her eager mouth.

He leaned against the back of the seat, trying to catch his breath. Bella sat up and wiped her mouth, a proud smirk on her face.

He lunged at her and kissed her hungrily, tasting himself on her tongue. Normally, he'd be grossed out, but the thought of his come in Bella's mouth just made him even more frantic as he lowered her down onto the seat, his dick already starting to harden again.

He pulled her legs up so they wrapped around his hips. She lay under him, wide eyed and panting.

"Last chance. You sure?" He could barely speak.

She nodded. "I want it to be you, Edward. It's always been for you."

He kissed her fervently for several minutes before he slowly pushed inside of her. She tensed.

He froze. "Are you okay, Bean?" He was starting to panic—he didn't want to hurt her.

She smiled at his use of his nickname for her. "Jesus, Edward, just do it. Rip that bandage off." She wiggled her hips under his.

_Bandage. Shit, he hoped she didn't get blood on the seat of his car. _

He pushed in some more. She was so very tight. He was thankful that he'd already come once.

"Edward…" she growled, pushing her hips up, trying to impale herself on him.

He braced himself and thrust the rest of the way into her. She cried out, a strangled growl mixed with a heart-wrenching sob, and he held her close to him, shushing her as she cried into his chest. His heart was breaking at having caused her this pain.

They didn't move for several minutes. Eventually, her tears subsided and she experimentally swirled her hips up against his, moaning in pleasure and causing Edward's eyes to roll back into his head, his jaw hanging open.

"Okay, you can move now," she said breathily.

Edward breathed a sigh of relief. Staying still inside her had been the utmost of pleasure-induced torture. Bringing her leg up so her foot rested at the top of the front seat, he slowly pulled out, almost all the way, then watched as he pushed back in, disappearing inside of her.

She was looking down too, enthralled by the way their bodies were connected in this most intimate of ways. When their eyes met, Edward was overcome by his love for this woman, this brave girl who had gone through hell and wanted nothing more than to be with him in the face of such danger, even though he had once deserted her.

_Never again_.

He pulled her body to his, tangling his fingers in her soft hair and inhaling her sweet scent. Strawberries mingled with the smell of sex to create a delirious cocktail that made him moan wildly. He moved quicker now, thrusting into her more forcefully as every fiber in his being cried out to devour her, to possess her, to make her his.

She began to claw at his back, her nails digging into his shoulders as her hips met his thrust for thrust. She whimpered as he reached between their bodies and began circling her clit with his thumb. Her body tensed beneath his, and she screamed and dragged her nails down his back as she convulsed from her orgasm.

The pain from her nails breaking into his flesh combined with the sight of Bella falling apart in his arms sent Edward flying over the edge, crying out several expletives as he pumped furiously, emptying himself into Bella's heat.

They didn't move after. They clung to each other, sweaty and panting, not wanting to face reality again, not wanting the cold air of Death's recent foray into their lives to surround their bodies again.

As he began softening inside her, he squirmed, not wanting his connection with her to end. But the feeling of him slowly slipping out of her kind of tickled, so he raised himself off of her and began searching for his underwear. Bella whined and tried to pull him back.

When he heard the same snappy little tune he'd heard earlier from Bella's phone, he reluctantly reached onto the floor where her pants were and pulled out her phone.

Bella sighed and took the phone, glaring at it before placing it at her ear. "Alice? I'd better not be speaking to your ass."

She bolted upright, smacking Edward in the chest to get his attention, and put her phone on speaker.

"_Please, let me go!" _A frightened voice sounded through the speaker, sobbing hysterically. A low female voice hissed, "_Shut up. If you want to live another minute, just shut up_."

Bella looked at Edward frantically. He put a finger over his lips, indicating that she shouldn't speak. He quickly got dressed, pulled his phone out and got out of the car to phone his friend at the Bureau, Emmett McCarty.

"Agent McCarty."

"Emmett, it's Edward. I know it's been a long time, and yes, I'm a total shit, but I'm in a bit of a situation right now and I really need your help."

"Well, you're absolutely right. But hey, I'm a forgiving guy. What can I help you with?"

Edward motioned through the window for Bella to hold her phone up so he could see Alice's number.

"Emmett, I need to trace a cell phone. A girl's life depends on it."

Without hesitation, he replied, "Go."

"778-555-1234"

"Okay, that's on the Verizon network. I'll send you the link to the tracker in a few minutes. Dude, you'd better call me when you're finished there."

"Definitely. Thanks, Emmett." He hung up and climbed back into the car with Bella, who'd put her clothes back on and climbed into the front seat.

He hugged her tightly. "Don't worry, baby, we'll find her." He started the car up and began driving back toward town, hoping that he was getting closer to Alice.

After a few minutes, his cell phone buzzed. He pulled over and followed the link Emmett had sent him to a map with a GPS marker on it, indicating Alice's phone.

"Bella, she's near the cemetery. I won't take you back there. Can you wait at your house?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm not sitting at home while Alice is in danger. I'm coming with you."

"Then I'll stay with you, and we'll call the police."

Her voice was quiet "The police are busy." She looked down at the floor, her hair covering her face. Her shoulders started to shake again.

Edward gripped the steering wheel with both hands tightly, wondering what the hell he should do. It seemed that Bella's life was in danger no matter what he did, so he resolved to take her with him to find Alice.

He got out of the car and went around to his trunk, returning a moment later with another revolver.

"You still shoot?"

Bella looked up through her curtain of hair. "Yeah, Charlie takes me..." she sniffled "…took me to the range every few months."

"Good." He cleared the weapon and handed it to her, jumping into the driver's seat and taking off toward the cemetery.

He parked along the side, far away from the sirens that were flashing near where Charlie's body was, the flashing lights a frightened plea—S_tay away, horrors abound here._

The moon was hidden behind clouds, the darkness shielding them as they slipped into the woods. Their descent through the thick foliage was hindered by the darkness, so once they were well inside, Edward brought his phone out. The air around him glowed luminescent.

"She's still in the same spot." Edward showed Bella the map on his screen, the tiny dot that was Alice's phone blinking impatiently. He took her hand and guided her in the direction indicated on the screen, trying not to think about what might await them.

The woods were silent, save for the soft squishing sound their feet made on the mossy ground and the rustling of the branches as they pushed them out of their way. Bella had worn running shoes, but she still managed to slip a few times while climbing over wet, fallen trees. Edward kept a firm grip on her hand so he would be nearby if he needed to catch her.

They froze as a seductive female voice crooned, "My, my, if I'd known she came with an entourage, I wouldn't have eaten those hikers earlier."

They couldn't see anyone in the blackness. Edward pulled Bella to him protectively.

"Ah, see how he protects her. He would give his life to save her, no?" A beautiful young girl emerged from the trees, her dark hair blending in with the surrounding night. She had a hint of a Spanish accent.

She was suddenly right in front of them, her cold fingers caressing Edward's cheek. "Because you are so handsome I will do you a favor and kill you first. Then you do not have to see your love die." Bella pulled away from Edward's tight embrace to face the girl, her eyes blazing.

Before she could tell her to keep her hands off her man, the girl had Bella's hair in one hand, pulling down so she was forced to her knees. Her other hand was tight around Edward's throat. He tried to grab her wrist and was shocked to feel cold stone where soft skin should be. He could not budge her iron grasp. His vision began to blur, and he reached toward Bella, wanting to touch her one more time before they died.

Screams pierced his ears, and he realized that his own voice was mingled with both Bella's and the girl's as they suddenly cowered in fear beyond anything he'd ever imagined, even faced with death as he was.

The girl recovered and released them roughly, turning to face the dark figure that had emerged from the darkness. Edward grabbed Bella, and they clutched each other as they scrambled to get up off the ground.

The girl's voice shook slightly. It appeared that she was feeling the same fear that Edward and Bella were, although she was able to control her response better. "I brought you a peace offering. I have hidden her, but you can have this one instead if you wish." She swiftly grabbed Bella by the arm and forced her to stand. The dark figure stalked slowly toward the girl. She shifted Bella in front of her and began to back up slowly. Bella was whimpering and crying uncontrollably while Edward's body shook violently, the fear completely controlling him.

He couldn't help her.

"I know what you're doing, darling," the girl cooed at the gloomy figure. "After all these years, do you really think that I haven't built up any immunity to your talent? Although I do appreciate you scaring the humans – they do taste delicious when frightened."

A rumble sounded deep in the dark creature's chest just as the clouds parted, allowing light from the moon to illuminate the scene. Bella fainted and Edward tried desperately to hold onto consciousness as the fear consumed him, threatening to swallow him whole. His heart was pounding so hard that he feared it would crack his ribs.

The creature had no head.

The girl dropped Bella's limp body to the cold forest floor, smirking. "But then, do you even remember how they taste?" She took a step forward. "Come back with me, my darling. Lead my army once more, and you shall have your head back."

The headless creature lunged at her just as she leaped to the side, dodging him as he gracefully righted himself and turned to face her once more.

"I wish you could tell me how it feels. Whatever senses that remain must be heightened, but it still must be so difficult not seeing…or tasting." The creature lunged again and she easily sidestepped him. "I imagine that you can feel our presence, but how can you hear me?" she mused.

Edward was suddenly consumed by urgent, devastating lust. He panted, watching the girl's heaving breast as she ceased her contemplations and eyed the creature wantonly. Bella began to stir, writhing on the ground. Edward's cock throbbed as he crawled toward her.

The girl moved toward the creature. "Oh, I like this game." Her voice was husky and deep. "I'm so glad that it was your head I removed and not other, more useful things." She stopped before she reached him, sighing. "As much as I'd love to fall for this, I cannot. Besides, you know how much I loved your luscious mouth. It just wouldn't be the same."

This time when he moved toward her, she stayed still. Perhaps she was not as immune to his talent as she had professed. His hand disappeared down her pants, the other grabbing her breast roughly. Her head fell back as she let him ravish her with his hands.

Edward reached Bella, pulling her onto his lap. When her eyes fluttered open, he attacked her mouth with his needy lips. She gasped and returned the kiss, writhing and moaning beneath him, completely overcome by the intense lust flowing between them, then stiffened when she remembered what was happening. She pushed at Edward's chest, trying half-heartedly to get him to release her.

"We need to get out of here!" she whispered when Edward released her mouth to inhale. He groaned, pulling her up with him as he stood, his lips still unable to keep away from hers.

Whatever this creature was doing to them, he was powerful. The only reason Edward was even considering parting from Bella's lips was so he could take her to a more secluded area and have his way with her, escaping a life-threatening situation be damned.

He took her hand and ran, not looking back to watch the dark-haired girl climaxing around the creature's fingers, tempting as it was. His only thought was of hearing Bella make those same noises for him.

As they got farther away, their lust-induced haze began to subside and the gravity of their situation set in once more. They stumbled through the woods, glancing behind them every few seconds, shocked that they were not being pursued.

The forest was filled with a high-pitched keening sound, and smoke filled the air. Edward and Bella ran faster, until they saw a small wooden shack.

Alice lay motionless on the porch.

"We have to get her out of here!" Bella whispered frantically, looking around to make sure they were still alone.

Edward picked up the tiny girl. As he turned to leave, he saw the trees around him rustling and heard an agitating whirring noise. Alice was knocked out of his arms, and he found himself lying on the mossy ground as something flew past him and straight through the wooden wall of the shack.

Crawling over to where Bella was cradling Alice's head on her lap, he wrapped them both in his arms, shielding them. They shook in fear, listening to the smashing sounds coming from inside. Soon, all was silent.

Alice began to stir.

The creature emerged from the rickety shack, holding a head in place on his shoulders. Edward watched in amazement as the head seemed to fuse itself to the neck, any traces of being severed quickly vanishing.

A blond head looked up, black eyes meeting frightened green ones. Edward shifted his body to block Alice and Bella as the creature stalked toward them, an evil grin spreading across his face. A wave of calm spread over Edward's body, and he exhaled, relaxing his hold on the girls.

He heard a sharp gasp behind him. Alice sat up, staring open-mouthed at the creature. She stood.

Bella and Edward stood with her, still holding onto her. Alice's eyes were filled with bright curiosity, riveted on the newly attached head of the creature. She held a hand out toward him.

"I've been waiting for you," she whispered reverently.

The creature stopped, tilting his head to the side, his eyes never leaving Alice.

She took a step forward.

"Alice, no!" Bella screamed, just as the creature snatched Alice's hand, yanking her to him, arching her back and leaning forward over her neck as he sank his teeth in.

Alice didn't make a sound. She clung to the creature, a serene look on her face as he drained her of life.

Bella's screams spurred Edward into action. He grabbed her and tried to pull her away, but she struggled against him, trying to get to Alice.

Determined not to break his promise to save her at all costs, he slung her over his shoulder and began to run as fast as he could, ignoring her fists pounding on his back.

He could hear Alice screaming now, but he refused to risk Bella's life and go back, no matter how much she sobbed and pounded on him.

Once the creature was finished with Alice, he would most likely give chase, but Edward would throw himself in his path. Hopefully the creature would be sated with two victims and Bella could escape.

As unlikely as that was, he refused to give up hope. He could not fathom a world where Bella no longer existed.

Edward's lungs burned. He had been running for God-knows how long, carrying 110 pounds on his shoulders, and he was finished. He slumped to the ground and pulled a crying, whimpering Bella onto his lap.

They were lost.

He guided her behind a large tree and tried to pull branches over them so they would be hidden, but he knew that if the creature wanted them, he would find them.

They held each other tightly as they waited. Bella's sobs ceased as she became once again resigned to her fate. The forest was silent, Alice's screams having tapered off several minutes ago.

Edward's face was warm. He opened his eyes and found himself lying under a pile of branches, the sun shining brightly on his face. Bella was curled up on his chest, and his heart leaped at the sight of her, breathing and whole. He did not want to disturb her, but he was lying on a rock and his back hurt like hell.

"Bella, love…"

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled sleepily at him, stretching out her limbs. She brushed a branch out of her face and snuggled into his side.

Bella sat bolt upright as she recalled the events of the previous evening. Her head whipped from side to side as she scanned the woods, her eyes eventually landing on Edward, who had sat up beside her. "Alice…" Her choked sob was a precursor to fifteen minutes of quiet crying, where Edward held her and stroked her hair, cooing soothing words into her ear.

"Take me away from here," she murmured into his tear-soaked shirt.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Let's go."

Shaking her head, she said, "No. Away from Forks. Far away."

He wrapped her in his warm embrace. "Anywhere. I will go anywhere with you, and never leave your side. I promise," he said as he gazed into her deep brown eyes.

She took his hand again and led him out of the woods.

It was raining, just like the last three funerals she'd been to. Edward held her tightly, in case she fainted like she had at Charlie's. She still wore a bandage above her right eye where she had hit her head on the side of the casket.

She had taken too many tranquilizers that day.

Today, she had popped a single pill before she left the house to say good-bye to Alice, even though there would be no casket at the memorial service for her to hit her head on. As long as Edward was by her side, she could handle it.

And Edward had promised to be by her side for a very long time.

She twirled the ring on her left hand absent-mindedly as she watched Alice's parents place two long stemmed roses on the floor in front of _The_ _Alice Brandon Memorial Pediatrics Wing_ of Forks Hospital, which was now under construction. She sniffled and Edward squeezed her shoulder.

She walked beside him to his car, their bags already stowed in the trunk. Edward had put his condo in Seattle up for sale and bought a large log cabin in Tofino, British Columbia. They were supposed to have amazing storms on that part of the coastline.

She couldn't wait to sit on the beach, rain beating down on her, the wind taking her breath away as the waves crashed and lightning scorched the distance between her and Heaven.

She hoped Alice and Charlie were in Heaven. As much as she'd loved Jessica, she didn't have the same confidence in her late friend's chances of eternal salvation.

She was sure that she'd be seeing Jessica again someday.

Survivor's guilt. That's what the therapist Edward had taken her to see called it. Edward hoped that getting her out of Forks and into a beautiful house near the beach would help her get through it.

She didn't want to get over it, but she would never turn down the chance to live with Edward in a log cabin.

She leaned her head against the doorframe, her window open, the wind whipping her hair around.

"Hon, the inside of the car's getting all wet," Edward chastised quietly.

She just stuck her face farther into the rain, reveling in the sharp pricks as each drop hit her.

Edward sighed and rubbed her thigh. "I love you, Bella-bean." He hoped it would be enough.

She turned to him and smiled sadly. "I love you, too."

She closed her eyes and thought of her best friend. The forest flew past them as Edward drove, most likely too fast, toward Seattle, where they would catch a ferry to Vancouver Island. She remembered her friend's bright smile, her perceptive gaze…

Her laugh.

Nobody could hear Alice laugh and not laugh with her. It was the most musical sounding laughter Bella had ever witnessed.

She could almost hear it. The tinkling of wind chimes in the distance. She sighed, missing her friend more than ever.

She caught a movement in the forest. Ever since that night, she had been over-sensitive to those little movements that her peripheral vision would catch, and her head whipped back to scan the trees.

A blond man.

A girl with short, spiky black hair.

_Holy shit, she'd gone off the deep end._

She closed her window and wiped the water off her face. "Edward, would you mind pulling over at the next gas station? I really need a coffee."


End file.
